HISTORY
1)Ukraine was a part of the Russian empire for centuries before becoming a Soviet republic.
2)It won independence as the USSR broke up in 1991.Since then, it has moved to shed its Russian imperial legacy and is in increasingly close ties with the West.
3)After the Crimean annexation, both nations have signed ceasefire agreements at Minsk in 2014 and 2015.
4)In 2014, then Russian-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an association agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Moscow.This sparked mass protests that led to his ouster in 2014.
5)Russia responded by annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and throwing its weight behind a separatist insurgency that broke out in Ukraine’s east.
Why US is worried?
1)Buffer state with Russia: Ukraine is a crucial buffer between Russia and the West.
2)Heavy troop deployment: Russia hasn’t provided any details about its troop numbers and locations, saying that their deployment on its own territory shouldn’t concern anyone.
3)Invasion: Russia is planning to deploy an estimated 175,000 troops and almost half of them are already stationed along various points near Ukraine’s border in preparation for a possible invasion.
Protection of its ally: Ukraine has been a close ally of the US. Hence, NATO has placed its military infrastructure closer to Russia.
4)Rise in Gas(Fuel price) as Russia is one of the biggest Natural gas supplier.
What Russia wants
1)Russia do not want Ukraine to become a member of NATO.
2)When the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia lost over three million square kilo-metres of sovereign territory.So it basically wants to Recover it.
3)Dominance over Black sea, Sea of Azova, Caspian Sea.
4)For many in Russia and in the ethically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes.
Ukraine VS Russian Comparison
HOW The World Reacted
1)It was widely condemned by world powers and resulted in the US and EU imposing sanctions on Moscow.
2)It also resulted in a strengthened commitment by both the US and the EU to protect the integrity of Ukraine’s borders.
3)The Donbass region (the Donetsk and Luhansk regions) of eastern Ukraine has been facing a pro-Russian separatist movement since 2014.
Thus to bring the peace and prosperity International cooperation is needed to solve the ever-increasing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both the countries should restrain from any move leading to escalation of the tension. Also the West should push both sides to resume talks and live up to their commitments as per the Minsk agreement to restore relative peace on the border.